I thought I'd give you a little history lesson about Halloween and how it originated in Ireland.  As you'll read below, the Celts celebrated Samhain on October 31st as it is the one day a year that the earthly sphere and the spiritual sphere are the closest.  The Pope actually moved All Saints Day to follow Samhain, another way to get the Celts to buy in to Christianity.

Many think they see spirits on Halloween but I think they're hitting the Irish Mist.  This is my human's favorite  holiday..........hmmm maybe she has a little witch in her, I think I've heard her called something similar before.  Above is one of our gourds carved last year.  Hope you enjoy - and remember that faerie that knocks on your door next Tuesday, may really be just that.

Halloween is most popular in Ireland, where it is said to have originated, also known in Irish Gaelic as "Oíche Shamhna" or "Samhain Night". The Celts celebrated Halloween as Samhain, "End of Summer," a pastoral and agricultural fire festival or feast, when the dead revisited the mortal world, and large communal bonfires would be lit to ward off evil spirits. In Ireland they continued to practice their deep-rooted, ancient pagan rites well after the arrival of Christianity in the middle of the sixth century.

Pope Gregory IV standardized the date of All Saints' Day, or All Hallows' Day, on November 1 to the entire Western Church in 835.  Because Samhain had traditionally fallen the night before All Hallows', it eventually became known as All Hallows' Even' or Hallowe'en. While Celts were happy to move their All Saints' Day from its earlier date of the 20th of April, they were unwilling to give up their existing festival of the dead and continued to celebrate Samhain.

On Halloween night in present-day Ireland, adults and children dress up as creatures from the underworld (ghosts, ghouls, zombies, witches, goblins), light bonfires, and (especially in Derry and Dublin) enjoy spectacular fireworks displays. The children walk around knocking on the doors of neighbours, in order to gather fruit, nuts, and sweets for the Halloween festival. Salt was once sprinkled in the hair of the children to protect against evil spirits.

The houses are decorated by carving pumpkins or turnips into scary faces and other decorations. The traditional Halloween cake in Ireland is the barnbrack which is a fruit bread. Each member of the family gets a slice. Great interest is taken in the outcome as there is a piece of rag, a coin and a ring in each cake. If you get the rag then your financial future is doubtful. If you get the coin then you can look forward to a prosperous year. Getting the ring is a sure sign of impending romance or continued happiness.

Children also have a week-long break from school for Halloween, and the last Monday in October is a public holiday given for Halloween even though they quite often don't fall on the same day.